Advancing Native place names in Alaska
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Recently there has been a surge in public interest in native-origin place names in Alaska. These names attest to the rich heritage of native languages and cultures in the state. Several recent and pending proposals suggest native names locations which otherwise lack an official name. Native names have also been proposed as replacements for derogatory names, such as the 2012 proposal to replace Negrohead Creek with the Athabascan name Łochenyatth Creek. In addition to these there are a wealth of official names, carefully documented by Orth (1967), which are clearly of Native origin but are improperly spelled. These could benefit greatly by having the Native name included as a variant and displayed on maps in parentheses next to the official name. For example, Talkeetna (K’dalkitnu), could be rendered easily since K’dalkitnu is the sole variant for this name in GNIS. In other cases this approach would be more difficult. GNIS lists 47 variant names for Mt. McKinley, 33 of which appear to be of Native origin, but there is no easy way to determine that Deenaalee is the correct spelling of the Koyukon Athabascan name from which the common name Denali derives. Another situation we find on occasion is a Native-language place name that has been inadvertently assigned to the wrong feature. Since its founding by state legislation in 1972 the Alaska Native Language Center has worked to develop standardized writing systems for all twenty Native languages in the state, while also compiling place name lists. In this presentation we suggest ways that ANLC could collaborate on Alaskan GNIS entries to make them (a) more effective for public use; and (b) more accurately mirror authentic the native language place names.
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Advancing Native place names in Alaska
- 1. Advancing Native Place Names in Alaska Gary Holton, Lawrence Kaplan, and James Kari Alaska Native Language Center University of Alaska Fairbanks COGNA 2013, Minneapolis
- 3. Alaska Native Language Center • Founded 1972 with the mission: 1. study languages native to Alaska 2. develop literacy materials 3. assist in the translation of important documents 4. provide for the development and dissemination of Alaska Native literature 5. train Alaska Native language speakers to work as teachers and aides in bilingual classrooms to teach and support Alaska’s twenty indigenous languages
- 4. Alaska Native Language Archive • Largest repository of ANL documentation • ~ 1500 linear ft. manuscripts, including nearly everything written in or about Alaska Native languages • ~ 5000 recordings
- 5. Alaska Native Place Name project • Goal: create comprehensive database of Alaska Native place name documentation, whether official or not
- 6. Language Families in Alaska • Inuit (Eskimo-Aleut) • 5 languages • Na-Dene (Athabascan-Eyak-Tlingit) • 13 languages plus 30+ others in Canada and lower 48 • Haida • Tsimshian
- 7. • GNIS lists 31,004 official (geographic) names in Alaska • Significant (but unknown) number of these are of native-origin • Total number of indigenous names much larger • Extrapolating from Ahtna region (234 names / m ha.) to the entire state we expect approx. 39,000 names • Probably a lower limit, since many coastal areas show much higher densities (e.g., King Island 163,000 / m ha.) Place names in Alaska
- 8. Official names approved in Alaska 0 50 100 150 200 250 1980s 1990s 2000s Native non-Native
- 9. Native-origin names • Original names • Official with Anglicized spelling (Talkeetna) • Unofficial with Anglicized spelling (Denali) • Official with Anglicized spelling and English generic (Chena River) • Official with proper spelling and English generic (K’esugi Ridge) • Official with proper spelling (Troth Yeddha’) • Coined names • Native-origin but not traditional (Ashana Lake, Tsaani Creek) • Mis-placed Native names
- 10. Eliminating pejorative names • Native names provide an excellent source to replace English names which are considered pejorative • Tsaani Creek (Ahtna, 2009) • Tł’oo Hanshyah Mountain (Gwich’in, 2012) • Łochenyatth Creek (Lower Tanana, 2012)
- 11. Previously unnamed features • Actual Native names • K’esugi Ridge (Dena’ina, 2002) • Taq’ Nust’in Moutain (Dena’ina, 2008) • Ciissinraq River (Yup’ik, 2008) • Nen’ Yese’ Ridge (Ahtna, 2011) • G̲andláay Háanaa (Haida, 2012) • Hawadax Island (Aleut, 2012) • Troth Yeddha’ (Lower Tanana, 2012) • Thachkatnu (Dena’ina) • Coined names • Ashana Lake (Dena’ina, 2009) • Ch’akajabena Mountain (Dena’ina, 2005) • Mount Chichantna (Dena’ina, 1999) • Mount Nagishlamina (Dena’ina, 1999)
- 12. Anglicization • Changed from Łach Q’atnu by cartographer (Imus Geographics) • Then officially adopted based on Anglicization
- 13. Misplaced Native names • Many apparent “Native” names are not actually the correct name for the feature • Ch’akajabena Mountain adopted in 2005, based on name for nearby lake • Proposal prompted change Chakachamna Ch’akajabena Lake
- 14. Ch’akajabena Mountain Ch’akaja Bena Dghil’u Misplaced Native names
- 15. Ch’akajabena Dghilu Ch’akajatnu Ch’akajabena Ch’akaja ‘tail extends out’ Ch’akajabena Lake Chakachatna River
- 16. Village Names • Atqasuk, ‘downslope’, replaces Meade River • Nuiqsut, ‘things speared’, replaces Nooiksut (should be Nuiqsat) • Nanwalek, ‘one with lagoon’, replaces English Bay • Nunam Iqua, ‘land’s end’, replaces Sheldons Point • Indigenous Peoples and Languages of Alaska map (2011) lists over 250 village names in proper orthography
- 17. • GNIS lists 47 variants • 7 of these are Native names • Deenaalee (Koyukon) • Dinadhit (Lower Tanana) • Denaze (Upper Kuskokwim) • Denadhe (Holikachuk) • Dengadhiy (Deg Xinag) • Dghelaay Ce’e (Ahtna) • Dghelay Ka’a (Dena’ina) Denali
- 18. Native names are steeped in history Troth Yeddha’
- 19. Deenaalee Deenaalee Be’ot Native names reflect a unique view of the landscape
- 20. Official Native names • A more manageable program • Simple, straightforward strategy for creating database of Native names for officially named features 1. Identify Native-origin names in GNIS database 2. If name = Native name, flag it 3. If variant = Native name, flag it 4. Otherwise, add proper variant and flag it • Could be used to easily create a map with Native names or Native name variants • Could be done easily using existing knowledge
- 21. Talkeetna River Variant Chunilna Creek I’delcuut Na’ K’dalkitnu K’dalkitnu Tl’u Talkeet River Talkeetno River Talkitnu Talkutna River Which is the correct Native name?
- 22. Talkeetna River Variant Citation Chunilna Creek Orth I’delcuut Na’ Kari &Fall 2003 K’dalkitnu Kari & Fall 2004 K’dalkitnu Tl’u Kari & Fall 2003 Talkeet River n/a Talkeetno River n/a Talkitnu Orth Talkutna River n/a Is it easier if we know the citation?
- 23. Cook Inlet Baie Kenaiskaia Baie de Cook Cook’s Arm Cook’s Inlet Cooks River Danse Groosginclose Kenai Bay Kenaiaskoi Golfe Kenaischev Ttunaiskych Kenaiskischer Kenaiskischev Meerbusen Nuti Nuti Tikahtnu Sund Kenai Tika’atnu Tikahtnu Too Chux Bogha Zaliv Kenayskoy
- 24. Cook Inlet Baie Kenaiskaia Baie de Cook Cook’s Arm Cook’s Inlet Cooks River Danse Groosginclose Kenai Bay Kenaiaskoi Golfe Kenaischev Ttunaiskych Kenaiskischer Kenaiskischev Meerbusen Nuti Nuti Tikahtnu Sund Kenai Tika’atnu Tikahtnu Too Chux Bogha Zaliv Kenayskoy Possible Native names in bold; which is correct?
- 25. Kuskokwim River Chin-ana n/a Dechena Nek’a Kari 1999 Dechenaa Neege Kari 1999 Dechenaa Neek’a Kari 1999 Dechenaa No’ Kari 1999 Dichinanek’ ANLA 2011 Dichinanek’a Kari & Fall 2003 Dichinano’ Kari 1999 Degenegh Kari 1999 Djenegh Kari 1999 Kenaniq’ Kari 2007 Kugikukvik River Orth Kugikukwik River Orth Kusququvak Jacobson 1984 Ryka Kuskokvim Orth Ttychannanika Kari & Fall 2003
- 26. Summary • There is growing public interest in Native names in Alaska • Existing resources are difficult to use and do not identify the correct Native name • Creating a comprehensive gazetteer will be a monumental work (though see Bright 2004) • However, creating an authoritative reference for those places which already have official names (whether Native or not) is a manageable task • Can be accomplished by simply recognizing “privileged” authoritative variant within GNIS
Editor's Notes
- Still the only statewide organization devoted to Native language study
- Worthy goal, but will take many years to achieve
- Ashana is a pretty made up name from Dena’ina for ‘flower’Tsaani was coined to replace Squaw Creek. Derives from Ahtna ‘black bear’ (GNIS just lists ‘bear’). Actual Ahtna name is Xelt'aats'i Na', literally ‘water lily creek’; original proposer listed Chawnee Creek
- Confusion in GNIS, reference to “Lower Tanana Gwich’in language”
- named after Chichantna River, but not the Native name for the mountainnamed after Nagishlamina River; native name of mountain unknown; Kari posits Nahq’ashla ‘little lookout’ as being located west of mouth of Nagishlamina River, so not this mountain
- ŁachQ’atnu
- The native-origin name does not always equal the Native name7188 ft. peak S of Chakachamna Lake Visible from AnchorageFirst ascent in 2004Some discrepancy in elevation (climbing report lists 7530 ft.)
- There IS aCh’akajabena Mountain (the Dena’ina name used the Dena’ina generic for mountain, dghilu), but it is located North of the lake, not South.
- Three Dena’ina names exist as a cluster, following typical Athabaskan place naming strategy which creates binominal names using a single specific term (in this case ch’akaja) paired with various generics.
- A more manageable goal, augment GNIS database to incorporate “privileged” variants.
- Determining the “correct” variant is not always easy. I don’t want to be so naïve as to claim that there is only one correct name. I use the word correct here in the sense of, which name would you choose for a map if you were making a map which included native names? Consider the names for Talkeetna River, a major tributary of the Susitna with a mean flow of 4000 cfs.
- Cook Inlet has 19 variant names
- 5 of these
- 5 of these